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La Stone or
hot stone massage therapy,  has been rapidly gaining popularity over
the last ten years. Most spas have members of staff trained in the
technique, and if you haven't been brave enough to check it out yet,
it is definitely worth a try. Hot stone massage therapy combines the
benefits of hydrotherapy (water therapy) and thermotherapy (heat
therapy) with massage techniques, to create a deeply relaxing and
healing treatment. Basalt is usually the stone of choice because it
absorbs and retains heat better than other stone. The flat, river
stones are warmed in water, in a special heater, to between 125 and
135 degrees. Some of the stones are then place on strategic places on
your body, such as your spine, thighs, and between your toes, while
others are used for deep tissue massage. The benefits of LaStone
massage include: improved circulation, improved blood flow to tissues,
improved elimination of toxins and waste products.
How LaStone Began
The technique's creator, Mary Hannigan, says that
the idea for LaStone first came to her in 1993, when a voice said to
her: "Use the stones." At the time, she was sitting in a sauna with
her niece. The voice had such a profound affect upon Hannagan that she
found herself picking up a couple of stones and massaging her niece's
back with them.
Hannigan
says that the stones have become her link to Mother Earth, and that
contact with the stones through a hot stone massage, connects us with
nature, and can remind us, on one level, of what it was like as a
child to relax and play. She also claims that for some, hot stone
therapy can work on much deeper levels, taking us deep within
ourselves, with the potential for healing emotional distress and
anger.
The hot stone massage?So
what can you expect if you book a hot stone session at your spa? First
of all, make sure you have enough time. Your session will probably
last between forty minutes and an hour and you certainly won't feel
like driving straight after- you'll be much too relaxed.
At first,
large, flat stones will be placed in 3-4 rows of 2 upon the massage
table. This allows for your spine to be cantered between them. A towel
is paced over the stones before you are laid on them, so that you are
comfortable and protected from the heat. At no time should stationary
hot stones be placed in direct contact with your skin, other than your
hands and feet, and these stones should have been allowed to cool
sufficiently before hand.
Once you
have been positioned over the layout stones, more large stones will be
placed on your chest, under each shoulder, on each thigh and your
belly. You may also have stones placed in or beneath your palms,
depending on which you find most comfortable, and between your toes.
You may also have cooled, marble stones placed on your face.
Your
therapist will now begin the massage using warm stones in a series of
different strokes and deep movements over your shoulders, arms, legs,
hands and feet. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, or the stones
are too hot, tell your massage therapist immediately. Qualified
therapists monitor the temperature of the stones very carefully, which
should result in a very pleasurable experience that is sure to take
you back for more.
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